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Tuesday, May 24, 2016

As you all know by now that I'm a HUGE fan of Holly Bourne's work ever since reading Soulmates to her very latest trilogy The Normal Series or how a lot of people say - The Spinster Club series. It has impacted so much inspiration on young people and reader's like myself and encourage all of you to read it.

Also please do visit my fan page to the Spinster Club - although I haven't posted in a while due to personal things it's about time I did!

Lottie's starting a feminist experiment. She's going to call out every instance of sexism she sees: leery builders, idiots at college, even her arrogant cameraman Will (who's posting it all on YouTube). Then her project hits the headlines and the trolls come out to play. But Lottie's not a girl who gives up - even when her friends think she should.

No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when Maguire is around. Like that time the rollercoaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or that time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch.

It’s safest for Maguire to hide out in her room, where she can cause less damage and avoid meeting new people who she could hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star. Jordy is confident, talented, and lucky, and he’s convinced he can help Maguire break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for Jordy is to stay away. But it turns out staying away is harder than she thought.

From author Paula Stokes comes a funny and poignant novel about accepting the past, embracing the future, and learning to make your own luck.

My Review

The Girl Against the Universe is unlike anything I haven't read before and it's the first I've read of Paula Stokes. It falls under the category of 'tough topic' books that I seem to be into reading more and more. It highlights so much in a way that we ourselves as readers can't really even comprehend to really understand when the person itself is actually going through it.

Maguire the main character thinks she is cursed and each time something happens and she is left standing and unharmed. She starts to think that everything is her fault and that only the people around her and the people she loves gets hurt. She doesn't want to live her life like that, so when she starts seeing Daniel her doctor, he gives her shrink homework in the way of challenges and a final goal to overcome her fear and the rationality of her thought process. Maguire is a very unique character, your probably thinking that's a sign to say she is crazy - well that's her excuse anyways but reality of it all is she is damaged and delicate. Every single event that has fell upon her has taken a part of her soul and now with nothing remaining, she stuck with this hole in her and for so long she has come to accept it! With her luck diary and all her lucky charms and routines in the morning it's so heartbreaking and you are just rooting for her especially as her luck starts to change in the shape of a boy and a tennis racket.

“Some people think they can just decree that everything will be fine. The world doesn’t work like that. I’m not sure the world gives a crap about anyone’s promises, well-meaning or otherwise. Sometimes the Universe just takes what it wants.”

After every session a boy - first known as 'Dolphin Boy' starts to talk to her. His name is actually Jordy, he is a world pro tennis star and his life has been documented for the entire world to see, but his parents like to control him and so over a period of time he has lost himself in the way that he actually doesn't know who he really is. So these challenges that Daniel gives is a way to unleash a Jordy that is both acceptable in the limelight and generally. I think it's safe to say and the rest of the reader community that we all want a Jordy! Jordy is everything that we need in a book boyfriend especially for the of Maguire. Paula created someone to relate and sympathise with. To look out for each other as well a relationship that in itself is a goal and challenge for both of them, it opens up possibilities and feelings that they didn't realise could consume you.

Another aspect of the novel that I loved was the tennis, it wasn't just a sport for both characters but it also represents their lives, each moment whether it's their internal challenges and battles going backwards and forwards. As well as how therapeutic just the motion and how you can get sucked into the game. It's like it's a competition with Maguire seeing if she can be better than she is and Jordy seeing if he can prove his parent's wrong. that he can go straight to internationals and be pro.

Another aspect was group of secondary characters that we had throughout the novel. When Maguire was starting to trust and let people in she became friends with girls from the tennis team, it was a big step for but which really made us feel rather proud of her accomplishing so much. As well as her friends we see a storyline with her doctor Daniel. It such a small one but I love connection and seeing his relationship and persona of his character through each of Maguire's therapy sessions. It's like he open ups with her.

Paula Stokes really has a way with her style and her writing, it's unputtadownable and completely mesmerising and a totally cute and adorable read. You will fall in love with it, as have I! And if you notice like I did that Pili from In Love With Handmade has her own character...how awesome and amazing is that!!!!!

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

From Morgan Matson, the bestselling author of Since You’ve Been Gone comes a feel-good story of friendship, finding yourself, and all the joys in life that happen while you’re busy making other plans.

Andie has a plan. And she always sticks to her plan.

Future? A top-tier medical school.
Dad? Avoid him as much as possible (which isn’t that hard considering he’s a Congressman and he’s never around).
Friends? Palmer, Bri, and Toby—pretty much the most awesome people on the planet, who needs anyone else?
Relationships? No one’s worth more than three weeks.

So it’s no surprise that Andie’s got her summer all planned out too.

Until a political scandal costs Andie her summer pre-med internship, and lands both she and Dad back in the same house together for the first time in years. Suddenly she’s doing things that aren’t Andie at all—working as a dog walker, doing an epic scavenger hunt with her dad, and maybe, just maybe, letting the super cute Clark get closer than she expected. Palmer, Bri, and Toby tell her to embrace all the chaos, but can she really let go of her control?

My Review

I binge read Morgan Matson books with my friend Amra last year and we loved her. My favourite was Since You've Been Gone and now that is sadly running a close second, The Unexpected Everything is now top of the list. Whenever a new book arises from Mrs Matson, it is always on my most anticipated and lately that Top List of 2016 is living to all it's expectations.

Andie likes to live with a plan... her plan was to intern at John Hopkins for the summer, to get away from her house, from the life that currently surrounds her. Her dad also known as Congressman Walker and lately he hasn't really been there for Andie. When all hell breaks lose when a scandal arises within the campaign, her plans have now disintegrated completely. All that's left is a whole in summer plans, that needs to be filled. But maybe this summer we give her a chance to get to know her dad for who he really is rather a void in the family. A chance to break that ice between them. At least all of her friends are in town and she has a scavenger hunt to win! Andie is in for an unpredictable and unprecedented summer!

I felt in the beginning that Andie was slightly narrow-minded I guess. Maybe also because of the way she's been brought up that she hasn't had a reason to really, truly fly free without cameras in her face. I think that because things didn't go her way she thought it was the end of world. I admit we do think like that a lot. But sometimes the best things in life don't go according to plan. Life, love, work, every aspect can't be controlled otherwise you will never find your true love or the job that was meant to be for you. My Nan has always said to me 'what will be, will be' and I think that some things in life aren't meant to be. So when Andie didn't get her internship - something unexpected happened and she landed herself a job as a dog walker and that set her life in motion.

One of Andie's first main clients was a dog named Bertie, so cute - I loved his playfullness but I guess I could also be talking about it's owner who is also very cute and adorable and an established writer at that, his name is Clark. He could even pass for Clark Kent with his glasses, nerdiness and rock hard abbs. Well that's what I inferred from Andie that's for sure ;) Clark was incredibly nervous and awkward at first, which only added to how much you will love him. But don't let an author sway you, because he much more than just a fantasy writer, when he wasn't writing you saw a side to him when his drawbridges are down. His relationship and new friendships that he inquired through Andie only made him shine that much brighter, he was inspired so much. It just shows you how powerful influenced Mrs Morgan is when creating spellbinding friendships.

The Unexpected Everything really highlights everything I love about Morgan Matson novels. Her style never ceased to amaze me even from the first book I read from her. With her group of wonderful characters that stem such a poignant relationships and friendships not only to Andie but to me as a reader too. Each one of Andie's friends have their own personalities - Toby, Bri, Palmer and Tom and each one of their essence shines every page till the very end. With her exploring chat threads that just add texture to the plot and her characters. Especially through the likes of Toby which was hilarious. Even I couldn't understand what she was talking about. You will get what I mean when you read it. Oh and the ending, enough said really - it made me think of a movie, Notting Hill, one of my favourites and I loved how it just really made it a quality and gorgeous happy ever after, It was a perfect ending to a perfect read of 2016.

Saturday, May 07, 2016

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 9th and runs through Sunday, May 15th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 16 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

HI EVERYONE, I know I haven't been around much but I guess you could say I'm enjoying the gorgeous weather as well as doing lots of other things too. Watching Game of Thrones and now Penny Dreadful. Got to love a bit of that! Hope you are all well and miss you guys dearly.

So I'm kicking off being around more with Bout of Books - starting this Monday. It is a great success for me over the past, not so much recently but I want to change that. So here is the list of books that I'm going choose from. One for a blog tour and two series.

Now I need your help I want to read either series but not sure which to read first, What one do you think I should go for?

The Half Bag trilogy by Sally Green

A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas

If you want to buddy read them with me then let me know here or Twitter (@nverjudgeabook) any updates are I will post daily on Instagram and twitter! Are you participating? Then leave your link below!

Hi I'm Emma and I'm a 20- something year old bookworm. A Secondary School Librarian by day, introducing young readers to the wonder of the literary world. A Reader/blogger by night, reading my favourites including Holly Bourne, J.K. Rowling, Richelle Mead, Sarah J.Maas, Veronica Roth, the list in endless. Also discovering new authors everyday. I'm also a Costa Addict, fellow Spinster and a romantic too!

Please do read the ramblings of all the books I discover in my little corner of the internet. Feel free to say hi to me on Twitter and Instagram too below.

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